Czech Braque in London

The painting by Georges Brauqe, sold in auction in Prague one year ago, was submitted into auction in London on 3rd February, yet with no success.

Georges Braque: Fruit, pitcher and pipe / 1924

Oil on wood / 42 × 60 cm

Price: CZK 11,564,000 / 1. Art Consulting 25th January 2009

The painting themed “Fruit, pitcher and pipe” from the year 1924 was offered at the daily auction of impressionists and classic modern at Christie’s. The pre-auction estimate produced the value of 260 to 350 thousand pounds. The amount converted to Czech crowns would then correspond with the level of 7.7 to 10.4 million (excluding the auctioneer´s commission). The painting was finally left unsold.

This work was sold for 11.56 million Czech crowns at the January auction arranged by the 1. Art Consulting company. It has ranked eighth in the most expensive works chart in 2009.

The high price, at which the painting was sold in the Czech Republic last year, was even more surprising due to the fact that it had been sold for 277 thousand pounds at auction by Christie´s half a year before (25th June 2008). Converted into Czech crowns, using the valid exchange, this amount equalled CZK 8.44 million.

This painting is not the first piece of foreign art, which appeared on the foreign market shortly after being sold in the Czech Republic. The painting themed “London Chelsea Reach” by Oskar Kokoschka, which became the most expensive work sold at Czech auctions in the year 2008, was submitted for auction at the Bonhams auction house in London in June last year.

While this work sold for 21.45 million Czech crowns (almost 735 thousand pounds) in Prague in February 2008, it remained unsold in London last June. The pre-auction estimate was set at the level of 700 thousand to 1 million pounds (excluding the auctioneer´s commission).